Chapter 83: Senior’s Talent is So Amazing
Under the warm lights of the house, Yuna was curled up on the sofa, engrossed in a novel titled The Playful Earl and His Elf Maid.
The book told the story of a human Count named Alaric, who paid a fortune at a secret underground slave market to rescue a captive Elf maiden named Elora.
The reason this novel had swept the continent and even been banned was not simply due to its daring romantic depictions.
It was also because it portrayed the dark side of aristocratic politics and the inner workings of the Black Market with such startling realism.
Every detail held up to scrutiny, making it read less like a work of fiction and more like an autobiography disguised as a romance.
However, for a young woman of Yuna’s age, the delicate emotional push-and-pull between the main characters was far more captivating than all the somber intrigue.
She was especially drawn to the transition from the daily friction caused by their different species to the hazy, sweet days of the Elf’s Flowering Stage.
The plot was so sweet it made her teeth ache, and Yuna couldn’t help but curl her toes as she lay on the sofa.
Especially when the plot reached the point where the Elf maiden, Elora, entered the legendary "Flowering Stage," the descriptions of the physiological changes made Yuna blush, yet she couldn’t bring herself to look away.
’So Elves experience a phenomenon of lingering warmth from touch during this period...’
Reading about Elora’s shame and distress over her body’s strange reactions, Yuna grew so excited that she lightly bit her fingers.
Then came the most thrilling part.
The book described it in a style that was both strikingly graphic and beautifully poetic:
Once an Elf in her Flowering Stage confirmed a compatible soulmate, any touch they left behind would create a lingering echo on the Elf’s sensitive skin, lasting for at least twenty-four hours.
The sensation was as indelible as a brand.
Moreover, once the Elf grew accustomed to this touch, she would develop an intense dependency on physical contact that would persist until the Flowering Stage ended.
At first, going a few days without contact might merely cause the soul to send out signals of distress, in turn affecting the normal flow of Ether within her body.
But that was only the beginning.
As the dependency deepened, it would gradually develop into a severe case of "skin hunger."
At that point, the once proud and reserved Elf would be unable to control her instincts. To alleviate the searing thirst that stemmed from the depths of her soul, she would have no choice but to cast aside her dignity and beg the other person to touch her.
In the story, Count Alaric thus found himself passively holding hands with and embracing Elora.
The book even described a mortifying scene where Elora, craving his touch in the middle of the night, clutched the corner of the Count’s blanket and tried to snuggle closer to him.
"Aah!"
Yuna let out an internal shriek and buried her face in the book.
’This author is amazing!’
But as she kept reading, Yuna suddenly felt that some of Elora’s actions and mannerisms seemed familiar.
The way she would occasionally stare into space, her face flushing and her heart pounding, how she would gaze blankly at her own arm...
’Why does that sound so much like Cecilia?’
Yuna shot upright, her mind flashing back to the previous night, when Cecilia had held out her hand with a serious expression and asked her to feel her wrist.
She had thought it was strange at the time, but thinking back now, could Cecilia have been checking for changes in her own body?
’No way...’
Yuna’s eyes widened, her gaze flickering between the bathroom door and the novel in her hands.
’Could it be that Cecilia is also...’
But she quickly slapped her own flushed cheeks, shaking the absurd thought from her head.
’What am I thinking! Yuna, you’ve really read yourself silly.’
She chided herself internally.
’How could I just make things up about my good friend like that?’
Besides, the book described the physiological traits of a Pure-blood Elf, and Cecilia was a Half-Elf.
Even though they both had Elven blood, their physiology was surely different. You couldn’t just generalize.
’This banned book must be so immersive that it’s giving me all these strange ideas.’
Yuna shook her head and turned her attention back to the book’s dramatic, winding plot.
「Meanwhile, inside the bathroom.」
Swirling steam filled the space, and the air was thick with the scent of rose bath salts.
Cecilia was soaking in the large bathtub, the warm water enveloping her weary body.
But she wasn’t enjoying this rare moment of relaxation.
The girl held up her fair left wrist, staring blankly at a red mark that had yet to fade.
It was where Lance had gripped her in his haste to keep her from falling earlier.
Even though a good while had passed and she had even used the Cleaning Skill on it, an indescribable tingling sensation still lingered on the skin there.
The feeling hadn’t weakened with time. Instead, it was as if a faint electric current was zinging along her nerve endings, sending little jolts straight to her heart.
"His Talent... it’s really incredible," Cecilia murmured, her gaze hazy.
She continued to soak, staring at her wrist.
Whatever she was thinking, the corners of the girl’s lips curved up into an unconscious smile.
Perhaps the water in the tub was set too high.
Before long, the steam had flushed her delicate little face a rosy red.
...
「Meanwhile, at Lance’s new home.」
After seeing Cecilia off, Lance didn’t immediately begin his Alchemy or training as he usually would.
He was sitting in the living room downstairs, and spread out on the table before him was all the gear he had just taken off.
The fighting over the past two days had been incredibly intense.
He had spent two straight days on a humid riverbank, clashing head-on with a swarm of crabs covered in hard, rocky carapaces.
If he hadn’t paid a hefty price to fully upgrade his equipment before setting out, this entire set of gear would have likely been ruined by now.
Lance picked up the heavy Chain Armor Shirt, carefully inspecting every single link.
’Not bad. The money was well spent.’
Lance nodded in satisfaction.
For metal armor, the most destructive damage often comes from the corrosive blood of Demons.
But thanks to the Cleaning Skill provided by his ring, he could immediately wash off any bloodstains after each battle.
This completely prevented the rings from rusting due to prolonged exposure and kept the inner Demon Hide lining from aging and losing its Resilience.
’This piece just needs some basic maintenance.’
Lance did a quick calculation in his head.
He would only need to spend 10 Copper Coins on some specialized maintenance wax and anti-rust oil to lubricate it himself.
The condition of two other pieces of his gear, however, was far from ideal.
Lance’s gaze fell upon the Kite-shaped Steel Shield and the Fine Steel Short Sword at the corner of the table, his brow furrowing slightly.
Those two had borne the brunt of the wear and tear.
The Short Sword was in terrible shape.
Because he had employed a tactic of frequent thrusting, the tip of the blade had grown dull.
Combined with the unavoidable scrapes against the Demons’ rock-hard carapaces, the once-sharp edge now resembled a fine-toothed saw.
The edge was rolled in several places, and there were even two nicks the size of rice grains visible to the naked eye.
’This is beyond what a whetstone can fix.’
Lance sighed, lightly running the pad of his finger over the damaged edge.
He would have to find a professional Blacksmith for a complete re-edging and polishing, and it might even require some localized heat-based repairs.
It would definitely be a considerable expense.
But this was his livelihood; he couldn’t afford to skimp on it.